RESTAURANT FIND ~ CARRABBA'S ITALIAN GRILL

(Limoncello Cocktails)

“There is no sincerer love than the love of food.” By George Bernard Shaw

It’s funny how sometimes you can live in an area for many years and first discover a restaurant that you claim you never knew about, let alone noticed in a heavily congested area.  Such was my “discovery” of a local Carrabba’s Italian Grill in Woodridge, IL.  The Carrabba’s Italian Grill franchise is located throughout the U.S.  http://www.carrabbas.com/restaurant/locations/il/woodridge/woodridge/index.aspx

I recently attended a special media dinner sampling of some of the dishes from a new menu offering.  While portion sizes were ample, what impressed me most was that the setting was like being at a family member’s home for a delicious dinner of traditional Italian classics.  Throughout the presentations and tastings, I often and fondly recalled my Italian mother’s homemade cooking; the tastes were that delicious.  For sure, the dishes were comfort food, but each one was fresh made and cooked to perfection.  

~ First Tastes Menu Preview ~

Arancini ~ These crispy hand-breaded bites of Risotto, Italian fennel sausage, red bell peppers and Romano cheese stuffing were accompanied with a delicious fresh made marinara dipping sauce.

Pollo La Scala ~ Sautéed chicken in white wine, topped with a Mascarpone and roasted red bell pepper sauce.

Mahi Wulfe ~ Lightly breaded and wood-grilled Mahi, topped with artichokes, sundried tomatoes and house made basil lemon butter sauce.

  

Rigatoni Martino ~ Wood-grilled chicken with sautéed mushrooms and sundried tomatoes, tossed with rigatoni in their house made tomato cream sauce.

 

Prosciutto-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin ~ Wood-grilled prosciutto-wrapped pork tenderloins dressed with a port wine and fig sauce.

Conchiglie Al Formaggi ~ Shell pasta dressed in a housemade Alfredo sauce made from a mélange of cheeses that included Mozzarella, Fontina, Romano, parmesan and goat cheese.

Mini Cannoli ~ The iconic sweet that combines a crispy shell stuffed with sweetened Ricotta cheese and chocolate chip filling, garnished with pistachios and powdered sugar.

~ Additional Taste Treats ~

An extra virgin olive oil dipping sauce was also served, along with fresh made Italian bread.  The dipping sauce was a house blend of Italian herbs and EVOO.  The herb mix included fresh minced basil, Italian parsley and crushed garlic, along with dried oregano, rosemary, red pepper flakes, granulated garlic, black pepper and kosher salt.  Refreshing libations included Limoncello Gimlet (Hendricks Gin, Limoncello, simple syrup, and lime juice) and a Limoncello Drop (Limoncello, simple syrup, Absolut Citron, and macerated raspberries). 

~ Lastly ~

What I learned from this tasting opportunity is never to ignore restaurants that are in your own backyard.  You never know what you’ve been missing all these years!  One of the founders of Carrabba’s Italian Grill has adapted the above George Bernard Shaw quote, and appears on their takeout bags, “There is no love more sincere than the love of food.”  That’s a very appropriate sentiment for this wonderful new dining find.

  

That’s it for this edition.  Until the next one, remember to always celebrate yourself and your culinary curiosity.  Happy cooking…happy eating…happy drinking.

By Terry Herman

TERRY HERMAN continues perfecting her passion for food and wine.  She has been covering culinary related for many years as it relates to wellness and a healthy lifestyle.  Her popular blog, Terry's Spa, Beauty and Wellness Go-To has featured formidable reviews of cookbooks, restaurants, wine and food, food prep and tools, chef interviews, and coverage of prestigious events such as the International Home+Housewares Show, the National Restaurant Show and the Sweets and Snacks Expo.  She has been published since the mid-1990s in both consumer and trade publications, and is regarded as an expert in spa, beauty, wellness, travel and lifestyle, and is frequently interviewed by publications for her expert content.  She has also presented at major industry conferences, and has served with distinction on numerous governing and advisory boards.  She has a background in strategic and qualitative management, consulting, and motivational speaking.  Her social media outreach includes Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Cision Seek or Shout, Plaxo, Red Room, Pinterest, and Tripatini.  For additional information, email her at terry.herman@gmail.com.

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(Introductory photo credit from specific brand; all other photos by Jennifer Haderspeck.)